Celebrating its gaining popularity in the compact SUV segment, Ford Territory afforded itself a little facelift, beginning with its more contemporary looking grille. However, the most striking change is the introduction of a hybrid powertrain combining a 1.5L petrol engine and a 64 kWh battery. Ford Territory Hybrid and ICE models have the same level of comforts in their Titanium and Trend versions. The only difference is in the powertrain.
The design
In the 2026 Ford Territory Hybrid, the honeycomb grille has been replaced with one that I would like to call ‘metallic rain’ – a name I believe sounds as contemporary as the facelift is with its coast-to-coast lights and full LED. The yellow turn lights look good when the white lights are switched off. Territory underlines its larger-than-it-is presence with 18” and 19” alloy wheels. At 4630 mm, Ford Territory is compact by category but spacious in its 5-seater configuration.
Cabin and comforts
The leather made me look twice but seriously it both looked good enough and synthetic enough to bother with the question. Dual zone air-conditioning and central armrest are standard and kudos to that! Top trim further surprises with ventilated seats in front that are up to 10-way power adjustable.
The boot space is mentioned variedly but 420L seems to be there for sure – good enough for a big suitcase, a medium one and a couple of duffel bags. The central console has a double deck, a tell-tale Chinese feature for storage comfort.
Cabin Tech
My test car came equipped with an Arkamys 3D music system of 8 speakers but don’t get your expectation climb to another dimension. The console had a Wireless charging bed, USB ports and Apple CarPlay / Android Auto (These days connecting to these is a breeze and I could project my telephone Google maps and Bluetooth music on to the system).
The console features a gearshift dial and volume control dial while two wide screens proudly occupy the driver side dashboard. 12” each in the Titanium trim while the driver information cluster is replaced by a 7” screen in the Trend. They are techy looking but placed a bit backward making some drivers to stretch out
Driving Safety
Ford Territory Hybrid is equipped with auto high beam and 6 airbags in the Titanium trim (front, side and curtain). It comes with Ford Co-Pilot 360 that elevates the level of autonomy in the Territory – Adaptive cruise control, Forward Collision Warning, Automatic Emergency Braking, Lane keeping system, Collision mitigation and a 360-camera. ‘Trend’ came with 4 airbags, Blind Spot Information System and Rear Cross Traffic Alert (as per spec sheet).
The Drive
241 hp – that is reassuring power by any standards. Coming to you from a drivetrain combination of a 1.5L petrol engine and a 64 kWh electric motor. The former churns out 148 hp and 230 Nm of torque while the latter adds 215 hp and 315 Nm to the equation. (The combined power equation isn’t a straight one – therefore the total power is 241 hp.) The transmission is e-CVT and the Territory is a front wheel drive.
The Territory pleases those who cheer for SUVs with a befitting stance – high enough to see an extra bit of the bonnet and the road ahead. The drive is more energetic and that indeed is the benefit of going for the Territory Hybrid given that the fuel economy only marginally improves in the 2026 ICE model. The driving style is light and easy – the way most new-gen drivers seem to like.
Should the Territory be charged?
For Territory Hybrid isn’t a Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV). It is a self-charging Hybrid quite like the Toyota models. The battery recharge happens through regenerative braking (energy produced while braking is stored in the battery) and from the running of the vehicle.
Ford Territory Hybrid claims 23.2 kmpl in total but during my test confirmed impressive figures north of 18km per litre.
Chinese qualities for the international market
Joint ventures giving rise to competitively priced and stunningly specked models isn’t a new-found strategy. Chevrolet Captiva was born out of it and so is Ford Territory, from its partnership with Jiangling Motors. However, the latter covers more territory in that it is designed and engineering-tested at Ford Design Studio in Melbourne, Australia. Being Chinese at heart has enabled the Territory to be more generous with features but not for a moment it radiates a false idea of premium — some switches and buttons will vouch for it.
Ford Territory has a reasonably spacious boot
The essential Ford Territory Hybrid 2026
My earlier gripe with the Ford Territory was its not-so-impressive fuel economy but the new Hybrid version sure takes care of that. As hybrid vehicles grow in popularity, the value of Territory is underlined with its bundle of advanced driver assist system. While the range starts at AED 115,395, the top-spec Ford Territory Hybrid comes at 134,095. Just 12,000 dirhams more than the ICE Titanium, this is undeniably the best buy of the bunch, with the extra punch.
